THE EFFECT OF HARD AND SOFT WATER ON YOUR IONIZER
by Dr. Robert O. Young

Most people think water is just plain old H2O and is
the same regardless of where it comes from—whether
a bottle the tap or a well. The truth is water
quality varies widely throughout the US.

The variation depends on many factors. There are two
basic causes of variation - natural environmental
factors and contaminants caused by man.

Contaminants tend to be man-made generally but not
in all cases. There are naturally occurring sources
of some things considered a contaminant. A chief
factor influencing contaminant type and concentration
level include proximity to sources of pollutants such
as population centers, industry, livestock and/or
agricultural operations etc.

Natural causes of variation in water are in a large
part due to the source of the water supply. Some
examples of common water sources are aquifers,
rivers, reservoirs, run-off, wells, springs etc.

These variations in source contribute to the difference
in dissolved mineral content in water. These variables
cause water to have very different properties, such as
taste and smell or to "behave" or perform differently
around the house, especially in an ionizing unit.

In general terms we have "hard" or "soft" waters.
Hard water tends to have a high concentration of
minerals. Soft water is low in mineral content.

The Scaling Effect of Hard and Soft Water

If you live in a hard water area you know it is
more difficult to form lather with soap while
bathing or performing ordinary household washing
chores. Perhaps you have on occasion noticed mineral
deposits on your cooking dishes, or rings of
insoluble soap scum in your bathtub. These are not
signs of poor housekeeping, but are rather signs
of hard water from the water supply. Hard water is
water that contains calcium or magnesium mineral ions
with a charge of +2. These ions do not pose any
health threat, but they can engage in reactions that
leave insoluble mineral deposits.

Hard water mineral deposits or scaling, is the
precipitation of minerals which form lime scale.
Scale can clog pipes and can decrease the life of
toilet flushing units. It can coat the inside of tea
and coffee pots, and clog and ruin water heaters -
and of course do the same thing to your water
ionizer.

Very soft water can corrode the metal pipes in which
it is carried and as a result the water may contain
elevated levels of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc.

Hard and Soft Water and Your Ionizer Performance

A good ionizer requires mineral content to operate.
It is the minerals which carry the electrical charge.
Water that has no minerals, such as reverse osmosis
or distilled water has no pathway for the
electrolysis or "ionization" to occur.

It is important to note that all water found in nature
has dissolved mineral content, so these types of "pure"
water are a man-made phenomenon.

The more mineral content your water has the more easily
your ionizer will alter the water - the
better performance you will experience. The less mineral
content, the harder it is for your ionizer to create
alteration in your water; or, the weaker performance
you will experience. In simple terms a good ionizer
will perform better with hard water and will have a
harder time with softer water.

It is not recommended to use an ionizer without
pretreatment in areas with water that has the
following measurements: hardness over 200ppm (
11.5 grains); and/or TDS over 400ppm; and/or Calcium
above 50ppm.

Hard water in the US

According to the United States Geological Survey,
85% of US homes have hard water.

The softest waters occur in parts of the New England,
South Atlantic-Gulf, Pacific Northwest, and Hawaii
regions. Moderately hard waters are common in many
of the rivers of the Tennessee, Great Lakes, Pacific
Northwest, and Alaska regions. Hard and very hard
waters are found in some of the streams in most of
the regions throughout the country. Hardest waters
(greater than 1,000 mg/L) are in streams in Texas,
New Mexico, Kansas, Arizona, parts of Florida and
southern California.

This site features pH Miracle Living alkaline diet concepts, nutritional supplements, alkaline diet products, alkalizing foods and recipes, alkalizing water ionizers, alkalizing exercise equipment, massage and aroma therapy oils, and information derived from the science of live and dry blood analysis. Additionally, the healthy weight loss products and treatments derived from The New Biology® including an anti-aging diet, healthy aging information and anti-aging supplements, chief of which is our greens drink formula and alkalizing mineral salts called pHour Salts.

The science of Dr. Robert and Shelley Young and the pH Miracle lifestyle and diet have been set forth in best-selling books including The pH Miracle, The pH Miracle for Weight Loss, and The pH Miracle for Diabetes and the recently released The pH Miracle Revised and Updated. These books contain the Youngs' philosophy and methodology, including diet meal plans and healthy recipes beyond what can be found in the popular Back to the House of Health cookbooks.